Wrapped Up
by JenniferLaMontagne
Summary: Jennifer Jareau had always been extremely protective of those she loves. So what does she do when the idyllic world that she created for her child is threatened by the one person who has the power to turn everything upside down?
1. Chapter 1

**Long time, no see!**

**This is set roughly around season eight. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Mom! Where's my hair ribbons, I can't find any of 'um!"

Jennifer Jareau's eyes snapped open and she blinked a couple of times, encouraging the fuzzy image that was her room to stop swimming and snap into focus. She inhaled and shrugged her shoulders slowly, stretching her arms out to relieve all the tension in her muscles that had built up while she had slept. Slowly, she edged to the side of her bed and reached over to see whether her cell phone had any important messages for her, although she knew that if something really urgent had happened, it would have woken her anyway – her phone was never on silent. No missed calls and one text from Hotch wishing her a happy day off. It was so rare that the team got a free day that they all celebrated it as a sort of a bank holiday once it came around.

"_Mom!"_

The small voice rang out again, and JJ stood up, pulling on a slightly oversized jumper before silently moving down the hallway. The early morning light was just about filtering through the light curtains that hung in front of the window at the front of the house, illuminating all the pictures on the walls with an eerie glow. JJ paused outside the doorway from where the yelling voice had originated, smiling briefly at the messy artwork that hung on the wooden panes of the bright pink painted door.

"Yes, baby?" she smiled, resting her head against the oak doorframe.

A pair of round blue eyes stared up at her, joy softening the little girl's facial features. "You're here! I _need_ my ribbons, Mommy, I need them right now!"

The sudden stern expression on her daughter's face made JJ laugh, which she quickly smothered behind her hand. Shaking her head, she stepped over various stuffed animals before she reached a small drawer, hidden just out of sight behind one of the legs of the small girl's bed. Debating whether to choose one ribbon for her daughter, or just to hand her the whole box, JJ decided to compromise and pulled out a whole wad of ribbons in her hand, offering them to the smaller blonde.

Eyeing her mother carefully, the little girl plucked two ribbons from her mother's hand, gesturing to the pigtails that she had attempted to do on either side of her head herself. JJ chucked, throwing the unwanted ribbons back into the box and started to re-do her daughter's hair.

"What have you got in mind for Mommy's day off, Lina?"

Turning to face her mother carefully so as not to mess up her hair, the little girl's eyes began to sparkle with excitement, "I get to choose?"

JJ nodded, fixing the second bow, her hand automatically brushing a stray hair off her child's face. Lina jumped up and down on the spot, absentmindedly chewing on her bottom lip, the way she always did when she was mulling over a very important decision, well, as important as any decision can be when you're five years old.

"The park! The park! The park!" she shrieked, and threw her arms around her mother, _"Pleeeeease?"_

JJ laughed, kneeling back before standing,

"Go get your coat on, and don't forget your boots this time..."

The little girl jumped with glee and raced from the room, giving JJ a full length look at the outfit that the small girl had already dressed herself in. Her favorite pink knitted sweater, and a denim skirt and white tights. Couldn't have done better myself, JJ thought to herself. Picking out fashion items for her daughter had always been a bore to JJ, to preferred to lounge around in jeans and whatever sweater or T-shirt she could find first on her days off. She always dreaded the annual FBI Christmas party where it was black tie was mandatory. It always warranted long hours traipsing around the mall, with Lina skipping behind her, pulling at any dresses that happened to be pink or have any hint of sparkle at all on them.

* * *

Dressing quickly, JJ walked downstairs to join her daughter, who was already standing at their front door, fully covered in her winter coat and little black boots. In her right hand, she was clutching a silver packet of chocolate Pop-Tarts. JJ laughed at her daughter's choice of breakfast, and would usually prefer that something a little more substantial was eaten so early in the morning, but as today was the only day that they had had for the two of them in weeks, she decided to let it slide. Shrugging on her jacket and reaching for her house keys, JJ opened the door to let her daughter out.

* * *

It was a short walk to their local park, and many children seemed to have the same idea Lina did, as JJ could already count at least eight other children already swinging off the many play things that the small park and playground offered. Lina raced off to the swings, begging her mother in backward yells to push her.

Smiling, JJ stepped up behind her daughter and waited till she was seated properly before giving her a small push to start off with. The child's laughter filled JJ's ears and she chuckled alongside.

"Higher! Higher!" Lina pleaded, her long hair whipping around her face. JJ pushed harder, and she watched as her daughter swung her legs out.

"I'm flying Mommy, I'm flying!"

JJ laughed,

"Yes you are! Make sure you keep holding on tight though!"

* * *

A couple of hours later, the two girls made their way back to their house, both slightly damp as it had started to rain, causing them to leave earlier than they would have liked. JJ was still amazed how children could spend hours playing the same apparatuses as they always do, she didn't know how Lina didn't find it boring.

"Straight up to the shower please!" JJ called after her daughter as she raced up the stairs, laughing at the girl's small sigh.

The rest of the day passed pleasantly, they spent it watching Lina's favorite DVDs and munching on countless bowls of popcorn.

Once JJ noticed Lina start to yawn, she scooped the small child up and carried her up stairs, ignoring Lina's feeble protests against going to bed 'so early'. JJ tugged her daughter's clothes off and gently pulled a nightdress over her head before tucking her into bed. As soon as the small head hit the pillow, JJ could tell that it wouldn't be long until her daughter was asleep, so she left the room quietly, leaving the door slightly ajar.

She padded around the kitchen for a while, unpacking and re-loading the dishwasher and wiping down the counter tops until she felt herself becoming achy again and she knew that she needed to get a good sleep in order to function properly back at work tomorrow.

Yawning, she climbed the stairs, pausing momentarily outside Lina's door, watching the slight rise and fall of her daughter's chest as she slept.

As she settled into bed, JJ wished that she had another day off, or at least hoped they didn't have to jet off anywhere the next door. Usually she was home by seven if they didn't have to travel anywhere, and she could still put Lina to bed.

Moving around the bed until she was comfortable, she reached for her phone again, setting her alarm clock for five with a heavy heart - she hated leaving the house if Lina wasn't awake. Quickly, she sent her babysitter a text asking if she could be at the house by a quarter to six, and as she sat waiting for a reply, she quickly flicked through her camera roll, pausing at every now and again to concentrate on her favorite photos of Lina. Suddenly, the loud ping of an incoming text message startled her, and she smiled as she read the text back from Sarah, the woman that had been babysitting Lina since she was just a baby, that said of course she would be there before JJ had to leave.

She could feel her eyelids become heavier and heavier, and she relaxed, falling asleep almost instantly, her phone still in her hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Sighing heavily, JJ flung herself back into her desk chair, staring at the intimidating pile of files glaring at her from her desk. Bracing herself, she grabbed the first file and flipped it open, photographs of various mutilated women flying out. She grimaced as she looked over each of the photos, it was very clear that this killer was escalating, and if they didn't do anything to stop him, it could become quite the massacre.

Looking down for the officer in charge of the case, JJ took his cell phone number and other important case details down in her phone, saving just in case none of the other files she had to look through were any greater cause for concern.

Hours were spent pouring over case files and speaking to many case officers and by six thirty in the evening, JJ had a decision to make. She glanced down at the piece of paper she had written a brief summary of each of the cases presented to her on, the first case she had looked at that day stood out in urgency by a mile.

"That's it then" she murmured, clicking the 'Call' button on her phone.

She managed to catch Hotch just before he was about to leave, quickly filling him on the case's top details and he agreed with her the solving of this case was of upmost importance. He suggested that he let the rest of the team know, saying that they would take off at six the next morning.

JJ smiled and waved as she watched her boss climb into his car, her heart heavy and full of dread at the thought of telling her baby that she wasn't going to be tucking her in at night for a couple of days.

* * *

"But why…" Lina's eyes stared at her, JJ felt as though the small blue orbs were burning right into her very soul.

"Baby," JJ started, brushing hair from her daughter's eyes, "I won't be long, I promise, I'll be home before you know it!"

The judgmental stare she received felt like a stone sinking in her stomach, and the guilt she felt at leaving her daughter overwhelmed her, it was crazy how leaving her for work never got any easier.

"Will you bring me back a present?"

JJ laughed at her child's ulterior motive, "Don't I always?"

* * *

JJ had often wished as a little girl that she could have a job that offered her so many travel opportunities that she would have a hard time choosing which city to visit first. Unfortunately, the BAU never stayed in the city in which their case was taking place in for too long, and JJ felt sorry for that. There was always another case.

As they drove around the streets of Atlanta to the police headquarters, JJ made a few mental notes as they drove past some stores she guessed would stock the right sort of goods that Lina would deem acceptable for her gift.

* * *

"Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone," JJ said briskly, shaking the hand of Detective Watts, the head of the Atlanta City Police Department. He smiled at her, and then at each member of the team in turn.

"Thank y'all for coming down here," he said, his voice booming round the small room, "I wish my second in command was here to welcome you too, but he's been called out on some family business"

"That's quite alright," JJ reassured the man, glancing over his shoulder at the white board that had already been set up in corner. Detective Watts followed her look, and gestured them over to it, "We've set up as much as we could so far, here's the photos that I had sent to Agent Jareau last week, and we haven't really got much else yet..,"

The man seemed to trail off, disappointed, and the team could tell that he hadn't had very much experience in the serial killer field.

"Blake, you and Rossi head over to the first victim's house, we might be able to fight some evidence that the police have missed…Reid, you and Morgan go to the dumping site of all the victims, some clues might still be hanging around. JJ, are you alright to stay here and talk to the families?" Hotch asked, knowing that she would automatically nod her head. "I'm going to head over to the coroner with Detective Watts, if that's alright?" Hotch finished, receiving another nod from the detective.

The team quickly went their separate ways, Hotch shooting JJ a quick "Call me if you need anything" before he left. Rolling her eyes, JJ smiled, the man still didn't trust her enough to feel completely calm leaving her alone.

A couple hours went by quickly, JJ's heart broke every time she had to interview the parents of the victims, knowing that when she asked about their dead child, it was as if she was pouring salt into a gaping wound in their hearts.

Twenty minutes before the others were due back with what they had found, and with the lunch JJ had been eagerly anticipating, she decided that she would give Sarah, her babysitter a ring to see how Lina's day had been.

"Mom?!"

JJ laughed, strolling towards a vacant office in the corner of the room, her back towards the main craziness that was a police headquarters in the midst of a murder investigation.

"Yes baby, were you expecting another call?"

"No, are you coming home soon?"

The question was like a knife in the heart every single time she asked it.

"I'm not quite sure, but Sarah is going to tuck you in tonight, okay? She might even read to you if you're lucky..."

The promise of a story at bedtime catching Lina's attention, she jabbered on to JJ, explaining what exactly she had been doing that day when Sarah had caught her sticking her fingers into the DVD player.

"….And all I meant to do was get Barbie's shoe out…and Sarah said it's broken now and I can't watch my DVD later because it's broken but it isn't Mom, remember we watched movies yesterday?"

Sarah's voice suddenly came down the line, apologizing to JJ as she announced to the child that dinner was ready. With an excited squeal and one last proclamation of love to her mother, Lina ran off to wash her hands.

JJ held friendly conversation with Sarah for a few more minutes, explaining how she wasn't quite sure when she would be home. After being assured for the sixth time that Sarah would stay as long as was needed, JJ hung up the phone, trying to replay her daughter's words over and over in her head. Catching sight of the photo that newly graced her phone's screen as her wallpaper, JJ smiled and gently traced a finger over the small girl's smiling face. She always missed her so desperately when she had to work away.

"Ms. Jareau?"

A voice startled her from her thoughts and she hastily shoved her phone into her blazer pocket, "Actually it's _Agent_ Jar-" she started, whipping around. She could feel her heart start to thud in her chest as soon as she turned around, that aching feeling in her stomach made her feel dizzy and like she was going to throw up all at the same time. She inhaled sharply, her brain completely empty of anything to say.

"Funny seein' you here..," he said, his voice so familiar and yet so strangely foreign to her at the same time. He smirked, his hands sticking out of the front pockets of his suit trousers, the gold badge on his waistband glinting in the Georgia sunlight that was streaming in from the many windows filling the office with light.

JJ swallowed, and blinked, her hand gripping her phone tightly in her pocket.

"Wha-What are you doing here Will?" she gasped, her throat seemed to have suddenly closed up.

The memories of the past flooded her brain and she desperately blinked as she felt tears start to prick at her eyelids, the burning sensation spreading across her face as she tried to frantically to think of any excuse to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know, it's been so long since an update! I'm trying to get back into the swing of this again, so please excuse the fact that this chapter isn't the best written thing out there!**

* * *

It felt as though the world was moving in slow motion and impossibly fast all at once. Buzzing filled her ears, and she blinked, wondering if it was just a hallucination.

_Oh dear God, no..._

Will took a step towards her, his arm raised as though he was about to touch her and she shuddered, unconsciously taking a step back.

"I didn't k-know," she stammered, crossing her arms, training her eye to follow the lines across the cheap, mismatched carpet, "I didn't know you worked here…"

He gave a small chuckle and held both of his hands u, "Well I wouldn' expect you to..."

She cleared her throat and looked up, her eyes finally coming to rest on his face. Her heart started to thump against her chest, and the incessant buzzing she was still hearing had given her a throbbing pain in her temples.

"I have to go…see if there's any updates on the case," she said, walking briskly past him, her hair flying behind her.

"You think you could fill me in too?"

She whirled around, her cheeks flushed, "Find someone else to get you up to speed, I have a job to do…" she breathed and turned back around, she was out the door before he even knew it.

* * *

The hot, sticky air hit across JJ's face as she stepped outside. She had wanted to get some fresh air, to see if it could help her headache subside any. Breathing deeply, she leaned against the building, her hands steadying her body against the stone bricks. This couldn't be happening, not now.

She always had known it would be very naïve of her to expect to never see him again, given they both worked in the same field, he must have jumped ranks though, to be second in command on this case. _The case_, she thought, her thoughts shooting back to the present. She had to give all her focus to the case, at least until she was safe in her hotel room later.

* * *

The remaining seven hours she spent at the police headquarters that day seemed to last about twelve years. Even Hotch had noticed she was more distant than she had been that morning, and had asked if she was feeling alright. She lied, blaming the unseasonable heat.

Will had tried to get her attention on more than one occasion, and she could feel his gaze on her when she had delivered her updated profile to the team over lunch. The rest of them had been pleased to see Will again, although she had noticed a slight look of confusion shoot over Spencer's face when he had seen the southern detective again. He seemed to be trying to catch her eye as well, which she ignored. She knew that Spencer wasn't the type to come right out and ask her about Will, she knew the whole team had known years ago that something had happened between them two, but she had never elaborated and they had never asked, she definitely hadn't missed the smirk has that crossed Derek's face either. Only Emily knew the whole story, and she was far away in London now so she wasn't here for the others to get information out of. JJ silently thanked her lucky stars that this wasn't a trip that Garcia had managed to secure herself a spot on. The technical analyst certainly wouldn't have any qualms about asking her blonde best friend about any significant past relationship with the drawling, handsome detective.

Hearing something about "sleep", JJ jerked her head up.

"Huh?" she asked, realizing that she had been lost in her own internal dialogue for a while now.

Hotch narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of concern spreading across his face, "I suggested that we all head to the hotel now, and continue in the morning once we've rested…"

JJ nodded, feeling the eyes of her team on her, and she blinked, wishing Will would just look _anywhere_ else apart from the back of her head.

"Sounds good," she smiled and made her way over to where she had dropped her bag earlier.

Following the team out the door to the cars, she was stopped suddenly by a hand closing around her forearm.

"Will…," she breathed, pulling her arm from his grasp.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said softly, and she pressed her lips together, shaking her head slightly.

"I don't think-," she started, before he jumped in,

"Not now, if you don't wanna, but maybe I could see you later? If you're not doin' anythin'?,"

She sighed, hoisting her bag higher up on her shoulder. She realized that this was going to have to happen eventually and she really didn't want a repeat of the day's awkwardness the next day.

"Fine, we're staying at the Holiday Inn, give me an hour or so, okay?" she asked, and he nodded.

Pulling a small rectangular piece of card from somewhere in the depths of her bag, she handed it to him, "Text me when you get there..."

And with that she walked past him, her heart thumping in her ears. She silently climbed into the back of the Jeep that Rossi and Blake had been sitting in, waiting on her.

"Everything alright?" Rossi asked, and JJ frowned, not liking the teasing tone in his voice.

"Fine, everything's fine," she said firmly, forcing herself to give him a small smile.

Satisfied, he sat back, and nothing more was said in the car until they reached the hotel.

* * *

**Please review, thank you! Hope you enjoyed this.**


	4. Chapter 4

Her heart was beating so hard she could almost feel it hitting against the cool material of the white shirt she was wearing. Her cheeks seemed to be burning and she couldn't shake a strange ringing noise from her head as she paced back and forth across the floor of her hotel room. She checked her watch again. It had been an hour and a half. A whole ninety minutes since she had left the station, _thirty_ minutes more than he said he'd be. She sighed, wondering why she was letting herself get this affected by him. She had decided a long time ago that she, Jennifer Jareau was not the type of woman to get completely bowled over by a guy. She had tried that once before and no, she wasn't going there again.

A sharp knock on the door made her jump, and she felt a twinge in her neck as she turned her head too quickly towards the source of the noise. Grumbling, she raised a hand to massage it, swinging open the door with her other,

"You need another hand there?" his drawling voice filled the room and she bit back a smile, raising her eyebrows slightly. Stepping back, she gestured into the room with a "Thanks, but I think I got it."

He chuckled, seemingly unfazed and placed what he had been carrying on the table, which turned out to be two bottles of wine, one red and one white, from what JJ could tell. Seeing her noticing the glass bottles, he shrugged, "Couldn' remember which type you preferred so I just got both…"

She hummed slightly, taking a step back. "I don't think we're going to need that, I wasn't expecting this to be a long-"

"What happened JJ?" he asked suddenly, crossing the room in what seemed like two strides. His hand circled around her forearm and she put up a pitiful struggle against it.

"I don't know what you mean" she whispered, trying to look at a spot beyond his head, the doorframe, the ceiling light, _anything_ but him.

"Oh don' give me that" he said, almost laughing. As though this was some sort of game. "You left without ever saying a word!"

"I'm sure I said goodbye…" Turning away from him, she shook the hair that had fallen into her eyes away from her face.

"Not a proper goodbye! How could you just take off?"

Whirling around, she stared at him, and he almost seemed to shiver under their icy gaze, "How could I?! We made it very clear it wasn't going anywhere, Will! We said no promises, no strings, what gives you the right to be pissed off when I just stuck to what we had said all along we could do?"

"My right?!" he asked, his voice rising. He took another step towards her, his eyes seeming brighter than they had before, "My right was that I loved you! And you just- just left, without sayin' a proper goodbye or a call or anythin'!"

She chuckled, placing a hand on her hip, "As if you even noticed! With all those girls that were always hanging around you, I'm pretty sure you're mixing love up with something else…"

"Oh this is ridiculous" he sighed, rolling his head back. "I haven' seen you in, what, five years and I just-"

"Nearly six" she whispered, her eyes trained to the floor.

"What?"

"I said, it's nearly six…" her eyes met his and she inhaled deeply, something in her soul was telling her that this was the right time, that it would all be okay, that she could have him again, but her brain won, as always, reminding her why she left in the first place and she closed off. Blinking, she folded her arms,

"Clearly you have nothing of really any substance to say Will, so if you don't mind, I'm really tired…"

Crossing the floor again, she opened the door and looked straight ahead, not even glancing at his face as he approached.

"I'm going to find out what happened Jayje", he whispered, his eyes combing over face, "You're here until the case is completely finished and that's not gonn' be tomorrow or the day after, so we _are_ goin' to talk"

She inhaled sharply, and sensing he wasn't going to get anything more from her, he left the hotel room and was down the corridor and out of sight before she could change her mind, before she could call him back and-

And, what? Nothing was going to happen. This wasn't a movie, she thought, locking the door, nothing that happens in those damn films ever actually happens in real life. Fairy tales weren't real and nobody was going to save you.

They're terrible examples for children, she thought, as she changed into her pyjamas, fairy tales. There weren't any handsome knights that come and save you from a pitiful life. There were only smooth talking police detectives who are dangerous to fall too in love with. But, she thought, that's not what that was. She wasn't in love with Will, she never had been. Surely, if she had been in love with him, it wouldn't have been so easy to leave, she told herself, desperately trying to forget the long nights crying into the darkness and the many dialled nearly-phone-calls. He hadn't been in love with her either, clearly, or he would have chased her, he would have tried harder when she had ignored his calls and not replied to any of the sixty E-Mails and letters he sent. He wouldn't change and she wasn't going to be his bit of fun every now and again anymore.

Sighing, she rolled on to her side and pressed the home button on her cell phone, Lina's smiling face lighting up the darkness of the bedroom. The little girl's eyes sparkled in a way JJ's never had and she had always wondered where her daughter had got her eyes from, eyes that seemed so much brighter than anything else JJ had seen.

Well, almost anything. Until she had seen the exact same eyes, bit slightly different shine just as bright at her not even an hour ago.

* * *

**Please, favourite and review because it makes me happy, thank you!**

**Missed y'all! **


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